The Seabin Project Could Be The Answer to Our Plastic Oceans – #WasteNotWantNot

It’s Time To “Trash” Our Plastic Ocean with The Seabin Project!

Plastic trash is a major problem in our oceans and finding a solution seems like an almost impossible task. In the latest installment in our #WasteNotWantNot series, we’re going to introduce you to Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski, a couple of surfers who are close to doing the impossible thanks to their invention, the Seabin.

The invention is essentially a floating bin that collects trash on the surface of the water, eliminating the plastic ocean. It is intended to be used in marinas, private pontoons, inland waterways, residential lakes, harbors, water ways, ports and yacht clubs. The bin can be attached to a dock or boat and will collect trash, oil, fuel and detergents.

The Impact of the Plastic Ocean

A lot of trash enters waterways in marinas. Currents and weather can also push trash from oceans, lakes and rivers into marinas. Trash in marinas can be an eyesore and pose harm to animals and their habitats. If animals ingest plastic it can be fatal. If animals become tangled in plastic they may not be able to fend for themselves or defend themselves, making them an easy target for predators; and if the predator ingests the plastic the cycle will repeat. Targeting the problem in marinas can go a long way to combating trash and cleaning our waterways.

How Does the Seabin Work?

The Seabin is partially submerged in the water. Water and floating trash is pulled into the device via a pump. Trash is collected in the bin and the water is filtered out and pumped back into the body of water. Trash is collected in the bin and can easily be removed from the device and disposed of in a responsible manner. There is an optional attachment that allows the Seabin to filter out oil fuel and detergent to really clean the waterway. There is still some fine-tuning necessary and the team is working to ensure animals are not harmed by the Seabin.

What Does the Seabin Bring to the Table?

To understand why the Seabin is such a game-changer you need to understand how this device ranks against cleanup efforts. Previous cleanup attempts essentially involve pulling trash out of the water by hand or dragging nets to collect garbage. These methods will remove some trash, but they are not very effective. The Seabin can work 24 hours a day for 7 days a week. The device is also unobtrusive. It can fit into small places without taking up valuable dock space. All the while it will be removing trash.

The Seabin has a lot of promise and could have a major impact on the amount of trash in the oceans and other waterways. It is possible the Seabin could greatly diminish the plastic ocean. To learn more about the Seabin Project you can check out their site or learn about their Indiegogo page.